Talk to Me- Liz Eisler
During the 60’s-70’s there was a strong theme of race and power in America. Although there were social and political movements among African Americans, whites still predominately held the majority of the power, leading to a continuation of racism and discrimination. As Newman states, during this time in dire need of a transformation, the most important factor in marketing to African Americans was the hiring of black disc jockeys� (124). Black disc jockeys were not only able to challenge the social and political norms within the United States but they were able to spread the message of cultural and economic change. It is important to understand that “By 1957,...there were more than six hundred radio stations targeting 30-100 percent of their programming to African Americans in cities all over the country and national advertisers were beginning to take black consumers more seriously- at least the ones they could reach via the airwaves� (Newman, 115-116). In the movie, Talk to Me, Petey was able to voice the opinions that many African Americans and even Whites were terrified to address. The importance of Petey “being real� as a disc-jockey was the impact he was able to have not only on the people of Washington D.C., but people all around the country.